India continued their dominance to defeat Sri Lanka by 97 runs and got a well-deserved title triumph in the Women's Tri-Nation ODI series after star batter Smriti Mandhana's record-breaking century and a four-wicket haul by Sneh Rana at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
Mandhana's purple patch continued as India managed to score 342 for seven, the bowlers completed the task by bundling out Sri Lanka for 245, with Sneh Rana (4/38) and Amanjot Kaur (3/54) doing the bulk of the damage.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu (51 off 66 balls) and Nilakshika Silva (48 off 58) were the star performers for Sri Lanka. Earlier in batting cramps in humid conditions, elegant left-hander Mandhana, who had returned to form with a fifty in India's last match against South Africa, struck a majestic 116 off 101 balls to lay the foundation for India's imposing total after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to bat.
Her knock included 15 fours and two sixes, including four successive boundaries off Athapaththu to bring up her 11th ODI hundred in style.
After India lost Pratika Rawal for 30 early on, Mandhana shifted gears seamlessly. The left-hander made Sri Lanka rue a missed chance when she was dropped on 21, going on to stitch two crucial partnerships—70 runs with Pratika for the opening wicket and a commanding 120-run stand with Harleen Deol for the second. Harleen played a solid hand with a 56-ball 47, allowing Mandhana to anchor the innings beautifully.
Mandhana’s 32nd ODI half-century came courtesy of a signature sweep shot behind square, and she continued to dominate until her dismissal while attempting an ambitious lofted drive over cover.
Her exit didn’t slow India down. Jemimah Rodrigues, fresh off a career-best 123 against South Africa, kept the momentum alive with a blazing 44 off just 29 deliveries. Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in with a typically aggressive 41 from 30 balls, and cameos from Deepti Sharma (20* off 14) and Amanjot Kaur (18 off 12) helped India rack up 90 runs in the final 10 overs, finishing with an imposing total of 343.
Among Sri Lanka’s bowlers, Sugandika Kumari emerged with the best figures, returning 2 for 59, while Dewmi Vihanga and Malki Madara also claimed two wickets apiece, albeit at a high cost.
In response, Sri Lanka’s chase got off to the worst possible start. Hasini Perera was castled by Amanjot on just the third ball of the innings, failing to connect as the ball darted past her bat and into the off-stump.
Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne then tried to steady things, pushing back with some positive strokeplay. Their partnership began to build promise, but Deepti Sharma applied the brakes with a tidy spell of off-spin, choking the flow of runs during a crucial middle-over phase.
Vishmi eventually fell, bowled around her legs by Amanjot after shuffling across the stumps. India missed a couple of chances—Richa Ghosh spilled an edge from Athapaththu off debutant Kranti Goud, and Kranti herself couldn’t hold onto a return catch from Nilakshi de Silva.
But any hopes Sri Lanka had of pulling off a miracle were dashed when Rana returned to remove Athapaththu just after she reached her fifty. From there, wickets fell regularly, with Rana tightening the screws and finishing with figures of 4 for 41 to wrap up a dominant Indian win.